


After the Battle

by elfwannabe



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-02
Updated: 2012-01-02
Packaged: 2017-11-26 19:10:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/653493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elfwannabe/pseuds/elfwannabe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Long suppressed emotions emerge in the aftermath of battle. </p>
<p>2003 anime-verse. Takes place immeditely post- <i>Conqueror of Shamballa</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	After the Battle

Roy Mustang walked wearily back to Central Headquarters. It was over. He had destroyed the gate, sealing both the enemy and the Elric brothers inside. A brief pang of grief rushed over him. He shook it off. He had no right to grieve; not for himself. After all, what was Fullmetal to him? An underling? A helper? A friend? There were others who would feel the loss of those boys much more keenly, the Rockbell girl, for instance. Still, he had to admit, things would be a lot less interesting without the shrimp and his brother around.

Roy stopped for an instant, looking over the debris of the battlefield at a lone blue-clad figure. There was no need to wonder who it was. He had seen her face as he took off in the balloon and knew very well that she was not happy with him. After a moment of hesitation, he approached the building and the soldier awaiting him.

“Glad to have you back, sir.” First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye looked at him with a mixture of relief and anger. Roy sighed and glanced away from her.

“I’m just a corporal now, Hawkeye. There’s no need for the ‘sir.’

“ _Sir_ ,” a look of concern crossed her face, “…the Elrics?”

Roy shook his head. “Gone. They left for the other side of the gate, wherever that is.”

“Do you think they’ll be all right?”

“I’m sure of it.” An expectant silence filled the air and a few tense seconds passed by before Riza spoke.

“You shouldn’t have gone up alone.”

Roy frowned and ran his fingers over his eye patch. “That’s not your concern, Lieutenant.”

“With all due respect, sir, I think it is.”

Roy was tired and, now that the adrenaline of battle was wearing off, he was beginning to feel his wounds. He clutched his arm as a sharp current of pain ran through it.

“I fail to see why,” he snapped. “I am no longer your superior officer. What I choose to do in battle should no longer concern you. However, if you must have an explanation, you were needed on the ground and I was fine by myself. Taking you with me would have served no purpose and exposed you to unnecessary danger.”

“Why do you insist on being such a Goddamn idiot?”

Roy opened his mouth to spout a retort, but he was cut short by Riza’s embrace and the feeling of her lips against his. He pulled away and looked at her intently.

“Riza--”

“I promised that I’d watch your back. And I will. Always.” Riza regained her composure and took a step back. “You need to get to the infirmary and have those wounds seen to.” She turned and began to walk forward, pausing briefly to peer over her shoulder. “Sir?”

Roy managed a weak smile as he nodded.

“I’m coming.”


End file.
